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H. J. MILLER. Carriage Top.

(No Model.)

Patented April 19,1881.

WITNESSES: aammc Z" 45M INVENTOR 9 RNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J. MILLER, OF GOSHEN, NEW YORK.

CARRIAGE-TO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,444, dated. April 19, 1881.

Application filed February 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY J. MILLER, of Goshen, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Carriage-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to standing tops for carriages, and have for their object to produce more handsome, durable, and convenient tops than can be obtained by theusual methods of construction.

The invention consists in certain details of constructionand combination of parts, as set forth particularly hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a carriage box and top containing my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 00 w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the top with the curtain partially removed, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the shifting-rails.

Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

The body A is that of an ordinary two-seat carriage.

B is the top, sustained by two bows, c c,

placed so as not to hinder ingress to the seats.

a a are knobs on bows c for the side curtains, and b is the rear curtain.

The bows c are formed of wood, and have their lower ends fixed in socket bolts or pieces d, that are secured to the arms 0. The arms 0 are permanently attached to the seats of the carriage, and are formed with eyes at their outer ends, in which the screw ends of bolts 01 are secured by nuts d. bolts d are formed with V-shaped slots, in which the ends of bows c are secured by crosspins.

The top B consists of a frame of longitudinal side bars, 9, and middle strips or bars, f, secured at their ends to cross-bars g, and covered with leather or other suitable material. The bars f g are mortised into the bows c, and bars f being bent or curved in the direction of their length, the top is curved both sidewise and lengthwise.

appearance than the ordinary top, in which The socket pieces or This gives a much better the covering material is stretched on transverse bows, and, further, there is no inclined bow required to support the projecting forward end.

A short bow may be placed at the mid-length of the top frame, as shown at c, to stiffen the top. The projecting rear end of the top frame is braced by flat metal bars h, which are bent at their lower end around the shifting-rail i, and attached by screws to the end bars, g, of the top frame. The bars h are also secured by screws h to the rail of the back seat.

The shifting-rail i is formed with screwpins t",that enter eyes-in the supporting-arms k of the seat-back, wherein the pins 41 are held by nuts, so that the rail i can be removed with the top B without removal of the seat-arms.

On the vertical bars hare knobs for connection of the rear curtain. The upper end of the curtain is attached to knobs fitted on the inner side of a cross-strip, l, of metal, that is attached to the ends of the side bars, g. This strip 1 projects below the inner side of crossbar 9, so that there is space for insertion and attachment of the curtain. The upper edge of the curtain is thus covered by the strip Z.

There may be a brace placed diagonally from the rear bow, c, to the rail 11 at each side, if required, but I do not regard it as essential.

It will be seen that this frame presents a very light and handsome appearance. The bows are not in the way, the top can be readily taken off, and when removed no obstructing pieces are left on the body.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with top B, of the vertical strips or bars h, and shifting-rail '6, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The cross strip or bar 1, formed with knobs for the rear curtain, in combination with the top B and vertical brace-strips h, as shown and described.

HENRY OSEPH MILLER.

Witnesses:

CHAS. T. DUNNING, THOMAS E. WooD. 

